It costs more than the other brands of plastic latching bricks, but it is the best.
Meijer is a regional chain of stores that sell groceries, toys, hardware, clothing, electronics, and other stuff. They were doing it in Michigan for a few decades before Walmart got here.
@hamjudo In SoCal, we had Gemco, which I believe started in the late 50's. Much to my parents' dismay, I use to think the loop around the Rowland Heights store was a racetrack. After closing down in the 80's, 99 Ranch moved in to serve the growing Asian population in the area.
As for the poll ... soup. The generic brands just isn't the same.
@narfcake We lived in Fontana until I was 8. One of my grandmothers worked at Stater Brothers, and I was always going there to get fed or go to their cinema. That's where I first saw Star Wars. Four times.
@jaremelz Fontana is way different now than it was then. The urbanization started in the mid-late 80's and on the most part, hasn't stopped.
Side note: When a car is up in flames next to a gas station, I'M RUNNING THE HELL AWAY! That just happened about 20 minutes ago outside the Costco here in Montclair, BTW.
@narfcake The last time I was there was in the early 90s. It was nearly unrecognizable. Montclair isn't too far at all! I'm assuming the car burst into spontaneous flames due to the heat.
@ceagee Someone brought a natural hunts one and I have to say I like it better than Heinz. I was 26 years of heinz and changed when some asshole brought the hunts to a BBQ. I have been questioning everything ever since. My world is a lie.
Very few items do I stick with a brand name. I do buy brand name sodas, coffee, ketchup, breakfast sandwiches and frozen dinners. Pretty much everything else is generic. I do find that some generic brands are better than other generic brands.
@marklog you beat me to it. Also pregnancy tests. I laugh when I see them at the dollar store. I think. Is that for when you really don't care? They may be totally safe and accurate but I know I wouldn't trust a $1 pee stick for much.
@sohmageek I think, for the most part, the people that use the cheap pregnancy tests are ones that are trying to get pregnant and want to take a test every day starting a week or 2 before there's any indication they might be pregers.
@sohmageek eh, they're really just a pH strip. If you need to be SURE though... and @metaphore is correct - most cheapo pee sticks are used by people who are tracking fertility and testing early and often.
@MrsBeckett yep. I'll also add that most of what you're paying for with the brand name ones, besides the name - are the fancy pants electronic read-outs that really don't tell you more than a simple line.
@XBmanX13 I had to grow up eating Toast 'em, the cheaper, less tasty version of PopTarts, and Funny Face instead of Kool-Aid. Also wouldn't eat butter until I was probably 13 or 14 because my mom always fed us margarine.
When I grew up a lot of the time it was Flav-or-Aid. No idea if it had cyclamate but I don't believe it had the backing of a company the stature of Pillsbury.
@narfcake I accidentally found (and out of curiosity, ate) a brand of dried fruit in Asian grocery stores that was imported despite listing sodium cyclamate prominently in the ingredients (in English, too).
We started buying the Walmart Great Value Ultra Strong toilet paper. That stuff is inexpensive, but pretty darned good. Practically the only reason I will set foot in a Walmart is for their toilet paper, generic Ibuprofen, or Shoot-N-C targets.
@djslack My Dad is a fan of the Market Fresh unfrozen pizza. Ever since my mom died, when I visit him it's a shock to see the sorts of things he'll bring home to keep on hand. He says the pizzas are a decent deal, taste much better than one would think, and they freeze pretty well.
Puff's Plus Lotion. I hate wasting money on tissues, but when I do buy them it's Puff's. I even have boxes in the guest bath and bedroom. I'm such a nice hostess. I use toilet paper when I blow my nose, but it's always good toilet paper.
My favorite store brand stuff is Trader Joe's. Unfortunately the nearest one is over three hours away. But I've had very few things that weren't awesome from there.
Can I use these to smother my cats that won't blend with a Ninja blender?
Wonder if people are naming their kids Generic yet. Maybe once ABCDE gets played out.
only buy Q-Tip brand Q-Tips.
@ekw I much prefer Johnson & Johnson.
@pooflady also good. just never generic.
@ekw Right, you'll get a stick in your ear.
@ekw Ya bought some kroger ones. I dont think I have ever been burnded so bad on generic.
Kroger Sonicare replacements are also very bad.
Paper plates, the generic ones always seem flimsy.
If you buy sub-par toilet paper for guests to use, you are the worst kind of person.
@dunda I hate that.
Lego
It costs more than the other brands of plastic latching bricks, but it is the best.
Meijer is a regional chain of stores that sell groceries, toys, hardware, clothing, electronics, and other stuff. They were doing it in Michigan for a few decades before Walmart got here.
@hamjudo In SoCal, we had Gemco, which I believe started in the late 50's. Much to my parents' dismay, I use to think the loop around the Rowland Heights store was a racetrack. After closing down in the 80's, 99 Ranch moved in to serve the growing Asian population in the area.
As for the poll ... soup. The generic brands just isn't the same.
@narfcake We lived in Fontana until I was 8. One of my grandmothers worked at Stater Brothers, and I was always going there to get fed or go to their cinema. That's where I first saw Star Wars. Four times.
@jaremelz Fontana is way different now than it was then. The urbanization started in the mid-late 80's and on the most part, hasn't stopped.
Side note: When a car is up in flames next to a gas station, I'M RUNNING THE HELL AWAY! That just happened about 20 minutes ago outside the Costco here in Montclair, BTW.
@narfcake The last time I was there was in the early 90s. It was nearly unrecognizable. Montclair isn't too far at all!
I'm assuming the car burst into spontaneous flames due to the heat.
Cereal. No Toasted-O's or Crispy Rice for me.
Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. The generic stuff is crap.
@SSteve That should be on the poll.
@SSteve Reynolds Wrap: Keeps freshness in, can't keep Mitchell out.
Coffee, Beer and Ice Cream. Everything else is generic brand safe.
@phatmass What would be an example of generic beer (or coffee for that matter)?
@phatmass Private Selection at the Kroger stores is a house brand and I prefer it to name brand.
@darkzrobe I agree, but I consider that name brand.
@dashcloud miller, coors, budweiser = all generic.
@phatmass But it is owned by Kroger and is a "Luxury Generic"
@darkzrobe "luxury" generic is an entirely different conversation. I thought this topic was specifically plain generic.
@phatmass generic is generic lol.
Ketchup. Heinz is the only way to go. I don't like the flavor of Hunts or any crappy generics.
@ceagee I came here to say the same thing.
@Mehrocco_Mole I totally agree. Heinz is the only good ketchup.
@ceagee Agreed! If it isn't Heinz, I'm not using it.
@ceagee Someone brought a natural hunts one and I have to say I like it better than Heinz. I was 26 years of heinz and changed when some asshole brought the hunts to a BBQ. I have been questioning everything ever since. My world is a lie.
Very few items do I stick with a brand name. I do buy brand name sodas, coffee, ketchup, breakfast sandwiches and frozen dinners. Pretty much everything else is generic. I do find that some generic brands are better than other generic brands.
Condoms. Definitely condoms.
@marklog you beat me to it. Also pregnancy tests. I laugh when I see them at the dollar store. I think. Is that for when you really don't care? They may be totally safe and accurate but I know I wouldn't trust a $1 pee stick for much.
@sohmageek I think, for the most part, the people that use the cheap pregnancy tests are ones that are trying to get pregnant and want to take a test every day starting a week or 2 before there's any indication they might be pregers.
@sohmageek eh, they're really just a pH strip. If you need to be SURE though... and @metaphore is correct - most cheapo pee sticks are used by people who are tracking fertility and testing early and often.
@sohmageek Research has shown that the dollar store pregnancy tests are more accurate than the name brand ones.
@MrsBeckett yep. I'll also add that most of what you're paying for with the brand name ones, besides the name - are the fancy pants electronic read-outs that really don't tell you more than a simple line.
Coffee Jacobs
Unfortunately stevia soda only comes branded at the moment.
PopTarts. Any other "toaster pastries" just don't taste good.
@XBmanX13 I had to grow up eating Toast 'em, the cheaper, less tasty version of PopTarts, and Funny Face instead of Kool-Aid. Also wouldn't eat butter until I was probably 13 or 14 because my mom always fed us margarine.
@LaVikinga that sounds like a bad childhood. I didnt even know there was a knock off kool aid.
@XBmanX13 At least the Funny Face was from Pillsbury.
@LaVikinga No Cyclamate! That's always a plus.
When I grew up a lot of the time it was Flav-or-Aid. No idea if it had cyclamate but I don't believe it had the backing of a company the stature of Pillsbury.
@djslack Sodium Cyclamate was found to cause bladder cancer in rats. It's been banned in the US since 1969.
@narfcake I accidentally found (and out of curiosity, ate) a brand of dried fruit in Asian grocery stores that was imported despite listing sodium cyclamate prominently in the ingredients (in English, too).
I still see it from time to time, which is weird.
We started buying the Walmart Great Value Ultra Strong toilet paper. That stuff is inexpensive, but pretty darned good. Practically the only reason I will set foot in a Walmart is for their toilet paper, generic Ibuprofen, or Shoot-N-C targets.
@LaVikinga Some of the great value stuff is really pretty good. They have a black bean and corn salsa that I'm pretty fond of.
@djslack My Dad is a fan of the Market Fresh unfrozen pizza. Ever since my mom died, when I visit him it's a shock to see the sorts of things he'll bring home to keep on hand. He says the pizzas are a decent deal, taste much better than one would think, and they freeze pretty well.
Puff's Plus Lotion. I hate wasting money on tissues, but when I do buy them it's Puff's. I even have boxes in the guest bath and bedroom.
I'm such a nice hostess. I use toilet paper when I blow my nose, but it's always good toilet paper.
@Teripie It's awful stuff when you are trying to clean reading glasses. I've made that mistake before. Smeary!
My favorite store brand stuff is Trader Joe's. Unfortunately the nearest one is over three hours away. But I've had very few things that weren't awesome from there.